Community Almanac

The Community Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Main St., will celebrate First Friday, July 5 with Starlight, Cinnamon Twist and Anything Goes collaborating to present a great night of entertainment and fellowship with all genres of music from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Snacks are provided and a suggested donation of $5 goes to the Deacons Food Pantry. For more information, call the office at (928) 474-2059.

HOT Cappuccinos perform

As part of the Town of Payson’s Concert Under the Stars series, local favorites John Carpino and the HOT Cappuccinos will present a free concert at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 6 at Green Valley Park.

The band has been performing around Arizona for many years.

Proceeds from CD sales of original material at the concert will benefit St. Vincent de Paul and the Payson Food Bank.

Native American Flute Circle

The Native American Flute is one of the easiest instruments to learn to play, and one of the most beautiful.

Join the Native American Flute Circle at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 7. Bring your flute, or just come and listen. Native drummers also welcome. The circle has a new location in the beautiful community room behind Majestic Mountain Inn on East Highway 260. A $1 to $3 donation would be appreciated. For more information, call (928) 474-1233.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store sale

The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, 1006 S. Beeline Highway, Payson, will have a 4th of July Weekend Sale continuing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6.

All profits from the store go to support the St. Vincent de Paul Rim Country Food Bank.

The Knights of Columbus will be serving hot dogs and bratwurst in front of St. Vincent Thrift Store on Cedar Lane and Beeline Highway from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6. Hot dogs will cost $2.50 and brats $3.50.

First Friday

Down the Street Art Gallery celebrates the Independence Day weekend with apple pie, good art and camaraderie on First Friday July 5. Down the Street Art Gallery is at 703 W. Main St., Payson.

There will be an Elk at the door to welcome guests from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 5 for dinner off the menu and/or from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, July 5 for live music from Plan B Band; from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 6 for Bunco and/or from noon to 1:30 p.m. for a buffet luncheon for a $5 donation; and again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for live music from Plan B Band; and/or a buffet dinner from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $15.

Men invited to breakfast

The Men’s Ministry of Ponderosa Bible Church will be hosting a breakfast at 8 a.m., Saturday, July 6. The menu includes breakfast burritos, orange juice, fruit bowl and coffee — all for only $1.

Max Tolliver will be the featured speaker. He is a retired firefighter and now makes his home in Florida. He will be sharing his testimonial to accept Jesus Christ at the age of 74.

Firefighters fix breakfast in Pine

Firefighters fix breakfast in Pine

Show support for the Pine/Strawberry Fire Department, Firefighters Association and the 100 Club of Arizona by attending the annual Pancake Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 at the Pine Community Center in conjunction with the Arts and Crafts Guild Festival. It’s an all-you-can-eat event with pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice. The 100 Club of Arizona provides financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line-of-duty. To help the families of the fallen Prescott firefighters, contribute to the Boot for the 100 Club at the breakfast.

Brush pits closed

The Regional Payson Area Project… for a Fire Wise Rim Country (RPAP) free brush drop-off points are closed for the holiday weekend.

Farmers Market

Come on out early to the Payson Farmers Market for naturally grown tomatoes, squash, onions and lettuce. Participating growers have tons of plums, apricots and for the first time this season... peaches. Get there early before the good stuff is gone.

Another new vendor selling delicious French cuisine joins those with tamales, Italian food, shrimp ceviche and all the rest.

The Payson Farmer’s Market is at 816 S. Beeline Highway and is open from 8 a.m. to noon through the end of September.

Arts and Crafts Festival

The Pine Strawberry Arts and Crafts Guild will have their second festival of the summer this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, at the community center of Highway 87 in Pine.

In addition to arts and crafts there will be food vendors and the Navajo Taco fund-raiser sponsored by the Senior Citizens Affairs Foundation in the Senior Dining Room behind the Community Center Thrift Store.

There will also be a used book sale in the Library Activity Room behind the Cultural Hall.

Pine school supply drive needs your donations

It is time for the Riff Raff Club’s School Assistance Program.

Sheila Deasey, secretary of the Riff Raff Club, will be at the Ponderosa Market in Pine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in July starting July 6 to collect supplies or cash donations.

Here is a list of items that the school needs: #2 pencils, washable markers, colored pencils, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, wide or college ruled paper, 3-ring binders that expand to a maximum of 2-inches; Lysol/Clorox wipes and backpacks.

Financial donations may also be mailed to the Riff Raff Club, P.O. Box 1941, Pine, AZ 85544 or by contacting clubriffraff@hotmail .com.

Sunday Summer Breakfast

Mount Cross Lutheran Church, 601 E. Highway 260 (across from Tiny’s Restaurant), invites residents and visitors to enjoy a Sunday Summer Breakfast between 9:40 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., July 7. Join the congregation either before the breakfast for its 8:30 a.m. traditional service or after the breakfast for its 10:30 a.m. praise service. The breakfast is free and guests also receive a gift bag.

Alliance Defending Freedom speaker at Nazarene Church

The Payson First Church of the Nazarene, 200 E. Tyler Parkway, will feature noted Alliance Defending Freedom speaker, the Rev. Ray Frank at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, July 7.

This organization is an alliance-building legal ministry that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

Payson Community Blood Drive

There will be a United Blood Services blood drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, July 8 at Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church, 507 W. Wade Lane, Payson.

To learn more or make an appointment, contact Pat or Jon Jonz at (928) 951-0863 or go online to www.BloodHero.com and enter the sponsor code: payson.

Sale at The Nook

The Nook New and Resale shop is having a sale July 8 through July 13.

All housewares, furniture and books will be 50 percent off. Select new merchandise will be 25 percent off including items from Melissa & Doug and Nostalgia Products.

The Nook is at 408 W. Main St., Payson and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. All proceeds benefit New Beginnings Pregnancy & Parenting Center.

McDaniel is guest speaker

The Democratic Women’s Club of Northern Gila County will meets at noon, Tuesday, July 9 at Tiny’s Restaurant, 600 E. Highway 260, Payson.

The featured speaker is Ronnie McDaniel, new mayor of Star Valley. For more information, contact Carol Waymire at (928) 468-1115 or Pat Rollins at (928) 472-4700.

Payson school registration

To make arrangements for registration for elementary students, call for appointments: Payson Elementary School (K-2), (928) 474-5882; Julia Randall Elementary School (3-5), (928) 474-2353. Students moving from PES to JRE do not need to re-register; Rim Country Middle School, call for details, (928) 474-4511. The high school registration schedule is as follows:

Payson High School:

Juniors and Seniors - 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 10.

Freshmen and Sophomores - 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, July 11.

New Students - 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, July 12 (get registration packets ahead of time at the Payson High School Guidance Center. Students with IEP’s report first to the Special Services Office located at the District Office, 902 W. Main St. daily from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Make-up registration -7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 16.

Payson High School students and families are requested to attend registration at the appropriate dates and times listed.

Freshman Orientation takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, July 26 at Payson High School. Students will be picked up and returned by bus at their regular stops.

For more information, contact Georgia Burnside or Judy Neese at (928) 474-2233 or via e-mail, georgia.burnside@pusd.com or judy.neese@pusd.com.

All district bus schedules are available from Carol Janeway at (928) 474-2340 or via e-mail, carol.janeway@pusd.com.

Please call PEC at (928) 468-8509 for enrollment information. The school is located at the south end of town at 112 W. Cedar Lane, Payson.

PB&J Drive

Summer is here and kids are out of school. Many of our neighbors in the Payson area are struggling to feed their families. Again, St. Vincent de Paul is teaming up with Channel 12 News and Bashas’ for the annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive. Stop by the checkout counters to donate, purchase a pre-filled bag or purchase some peanut butter and jelly while shopping.